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<\/p>\nBy Ethan James<\/p>\n
After the 4-0 demolishing of Signol Old Boys, Manager Stephen Howson will be reorganising his Stretford Paddock troops for battle against High Lane this Saturday (3 pm KO).<\/p>\n
In what has been described as a \u2018must win\u2019 clash for Paddock, both teams find themselves locked on four points in the 20\/21 Rhodes Cup group stages.<\/p>\n
Howson\u2019s men find themselves a place higher and with a better goal difference than this weekend\u2019s hosts, as both clubs fight to make up ground on North Walkden and Manchester Polonia in an attempt to escape Group D.<\/p>\n
High Lane entered the group stages from AFL Lancashire and Cheshire Premier League \u2013 a division above Paddock \u2013 but found themselves having only played three matches and winless.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know anything about them \u2013 I know that they\u2019ve struggled in the Premier League this season but that means nothing,\u201d said Howson, \u201cI know everybody has got the opportunity to be difficult on any game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Paddock come into the fixture having claimed their first win of the group stages last weekend \u2013 a 4-0 thrashing of Signol Old Boys \u2013 with Howson\u2019s side recording their first-ever clean sheet and now hoping to gain some momentum.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the clean sheet is bigger than anything \u2013 we\u2019ve scored four goals before, we\u2019ve scored more than four goals before.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing about playing us is that no one gives up. I think the gift of the curse of having the camera there is nobody gives up, nobody wants to be on YouTube having seven, eight, nine slots past them. So we have everyone on their best day \u2013 no one’s had a bad game against us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ve been outplayed once \u2013 and we\u2019ve lost games \u2013 but we\u2019ve had chances to win those games in every instance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need two games to guarantee [progression into the knockout rounds]. How do we get through? The simple thing is we win both games and there\u2019s a weird set of circumstances for us not to progress. So, we\u2019re almost guaranteed to go through if we win both games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the pressure of that, I think our lads might perform better when the pressure is on us a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Due to our participation in this weekend\u2019s social media blackout \u2013 a show of solidarity against racism and online abuse\u2013 we will not be posting our usual live-match updates on Twitter.<\/p>\n
Full highlights of the match will be posted on our YouTube channel after the blackout.<\/p>\n
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Follow @SPaddockFC<\/a> on Twitter and @stretfordpaddck<\/a> on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel<\/a> for highlights.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nCatch Up With Our Last Game:<\/h4>\n